As the holy month of Ramzan begins, we bring you some of the world's oldest, largest and unusual mosques.
While some of these were built during the 17th century, others occupy an important place in this list due to their stunning architecture.
Presenting Part 1 of our series.
>> The mosque at Taj Mahal, Agra
Have you noticed the two identical buildings on either side of the Taj Mahal in Agra? To the west is the mosque and the Jawab Masjid is to the right. While the beauty of the Taj Mahal is unparalleled, the red sandstone structure of the mosque is known for its stunning architecture.
Photograph: Courtesy The Artsy Lense/Instagram
Photograph: Courtesy The Artsy Lense/Instagram
>> Badshahi mosque, Lahore
Commissioned by Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671, it is the largest mosque of the Mughal era and has a capacity to house 56,000 worshippers. Photograph: Courtesy I Love To Travel 17/Instagram
>> Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, Beirut, Lebanon
It is also referred to as the 'blue mosque' due to its blue dome, which has an ottoman inspiration. Photograph: Courtesy beautiful_next_to_us/Instagram
>> Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Egypt
It was built in the first half of the 19th century and has four stone facades encased in Egyptian marble. Photograph: Courtesy Solo_travel-photos/Instagram
>> Sultanahmet, Istanbul
Istanbul is home to over 3,000 mosques, however this is one of the more important ones because of its classic Turkish architecture. A 17th century mosque, it is also known as the blue mosque as 20,000 blue tiles adorn its domed ceiling. Photograph: Courtesy Martin Vasquez Photography/Instagram
>> Al-Bahr mosque, Israel
It overlooks the harbour and is the oldest standing mosque in Jaffa, Israel. Built in the 16th century, it was used frequented by fishermen and navigators. Photograph: Courtesy Marwa Alkhateb/Instagram
>> Mahabat Khan mosque
Built in 1660 by Mahabat Khan in Peshawar, it is the only Mughal mosque remaining in the city and represents the glorious past of Pakistan. Photograph: Courtesy Nauman Malick/Instagram
>> Ortakoy Mosque Turkey
It is situated on the waterside of the picturesque Ortakoy pier square in Istanbul. Built during 1854 to 1856, it has a neo-Baroque style architecture, and you'll spot several examples of Islamic calligraphy within the mosque. Photograph: Courtesy Anastasiaeki/Instagram
